The present invention relates to a camera for taking both mono and stereo photographs.
The popularity of three-dimensional, or stereo, photographs is increasing along with technology advances in the field. Stereo photographs are created by projecting dual images of the same subject adjacent each other on the same exposure of film. The camera lenses that project each of the images of the subject are slightly offset from each other so that the film exposure captures to two different angles of the same subject. The resulting effect of the developed film, when viewed through an appropriate viewer, is a three-dimensional, or stereo, photograph.
However, standard cameras are typically incapable of taking stereo photographs. This is because standard cameras include only a single lens and a single aperture for capturing a single image of the subject. To achieve a stereo photograph, the camera must have two lenses and apertures that are appropriately separated to create the dual images of the same subject. However, since standard cameras include a single lens and a single aperture, they are not capable of projecting dual images onto a single exposure of film.
In addition, the shutter mechanism of a standard camera is not capable of exposing multiple apertures for equal time periods. To generate a quality stereo photograph, both of the dual images of the subject should be projected onto the exposure of film for the same amount of time so that the film may properly capture the image. However, conventional shutter mechanisms usually include two shutter blades that pivot in opposite directions about a common pivot point. The two blades pivot away from each other to open the shutter to reveal an aperture, thereby allowing light to enter the camera to expose the film and capture an image. The shutter blades remain open long enough to expose the film and then pivot back towards each other to close the shutter and cover the aperture. However, if the camera included two apertures, one of the apertures would necessarily be farther away from the pivot point and would become exposed quicker and stay exposed longer than the aperture closer to the pivot point. Thus, with a conventional shutter design, the apertures will not provide equal exposure of the image light to the film. This will result in a very poor quality stereo photograph.
Since standard cameras are incapable of talking quality stereo photographs, a photographer wishing to take both standard and stereo photographs would have to use a separate camera for each type of image. Carrying two different cameras and switching between the cameras to take different photographs can be inconvenient. Since most photographers desire to only take an occasional stereo photograph, very few photographers would consider carrying a separate stereo camera loaded with a separate roll of film in addition to a standard camera.
In light of the foregoing there is a need for a camera that has a simple design and is capable of taking both mono and stereo photographs.